Forty
by grieving-pln
Summary: What if Jack didn't die, but Ennis didn't change…not completely anyway. Where would they be after another twenty years? An AU Ficlet set in the year 2003. Enjoy. :


Forty

"Beautiful day…" Jack sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Hmmm."

"Want another beer?"

Ennis nodded.

Jack rose and stretched, turning his body from side to side. Both knees cracked. His left hip ached. He groaned as he stomped his heels hard to restore circulation to his stiff limbs. Though still strong and healthy at the age of fifty-nine, his early rodeo injuries had taken a toll on his body over time. Too many stress fractures had weakened his bone density some, causing a considerable number of creaks and aches to develop over the years.

"You alright?" Ennis glanced up from under his brim, his concerned eyes deeply encased in heavy folds of wrinkled skin.

Jack dismissed Ennis' troubled look with a wave of his hand. "S'fine," he said. "The pain ain't no worse than it's been." But even as Jack tried to insist he was fine, both knees continued to crack and pop as he stepped forward. He noticeably grimaced, but if asked, would have likely admitted his frown had less to do with pain and more to do with what it represented…age and time—too much of one, but not nearly enough remaining of the other.

"Be right back," he called over his shoulder as he walked to his truck, a brand new 2003 F350 with a Fleetwood 10-foot slide-in camper, completely decked out with everything they needed to get together in style and comfort.

Jack grabbed two more beers, then checked on the steaks he had marinating in the refrigerator. He'd picked them out special for their supper that night. Thick, tender porterhouses. And he knew how much Ennis would appreciate the good meal. The man always did. Ennis had long-since adjusted to the more comfortable accommodations they now enjoyed on their frequent trips to see each other.

In recent times, they'd even taken up some honest-to-god fishing during their monthly get-togethers. They'd caught four browns that morning. Two they'd already eaten and two were packed in ice…in separate coolers.

Still separate, but in many respects, so much closer.

Jack, wanting more, had finally made a decision back in the summer of '83. Tired of living on so little, he'd talked to Lureen, and Bobby too, then packed up what he needed and moved back to Wyoming in the early fall of that year.

There was surprise at first. Some confusion too. A certain amount of fear.

But then, just as they always had, they fell into a routine. They started meeting up once or twice each month, a considerable improvement over seeing each other only once or twice a year. And year on year, that's how it went. Another twenty years come and gone, some things the same; others, vastly different.

"Here ya go." Jack handed Ennis a cold one.

"Thank you." Ennis drank long, exhaled slow. "Damn, that's good."

Jack resumed sitting in the chair beside him. He stretched out his legs, tried to get comfortable, then picked up the conversation right where they'd left off.

"You was sayin something about Jenny's son makin the Dean's List at school..."

Ennis nodded proudly. "True enough. He's a smart one, that boy. Fifteen, already knows where he wants to go to college."

"Good for him." Jack smiled. "And Junior's boy, what are his plans? He's got to be close to eighteen by now."

"Next month. He's an oil field man already, just like his daddy. Boy works hard. Makes the family proud."

"Well, good for him too, then." Jack continued to smile, the sentiment sincere.

"And Bobby's kids?" Ennis asked. "Everybody doin' alright?"

"Yep, everybody's fine. Bobby's wife just emailed me a bunch of pictures of their summer vacation. Took the kids to the Grand Canyon. Said they threatened to toss the youngest one over the side if he didn't straighten up and stop complaining all the time." Jack chuckled.

Ennis cracked a smile. "Well, that's one way to get the child's attention."

"They're all growin up so fast." Jack lowered his eyes and sighed. "Ain't no stoppin it. I plan to spend a week with 'em come Christmas. Time's gettin away. Before we know it, the grandkids'll be fully grown with families of their own too."

"Ain't fuckin ready for that just yet."

"I know. Me neither. But we can't slow time." Jack continued to shift uncomfortably in his chair, still struggling to find a relaxed position. So used to pain and discomfort, he wasn't even aware of how much he was fidgeting.

"Thought you said you was fine, Bud?" Ennis reached over and started rubbing Jack's thigh. "Is the pain gettin worse?"

Jack shrugged. "Nothin wrong with a little pain. Let's me know I'm still alive."

"You bring that tube a stuff with you this trip? That stuff that smells like horse shit, but s'posed to help with the ache. What's it called again? Want me to rub some on you?"

"That ain't the tube a stuff I wanna be usin right about now..." Jack laid his hand on top of Ennis', squeezed hard. "What do ya say, ol' man? Think you can get your ass in gear long enough to give me what I need, hmm?"

"Listen to you, callin me old. You the one been groanin since we got here."

"True, but you the one ain't moved from that spot all afternoon."

"Need me to move, do you?" Ennis rose from his chair. "Where'd you put that tube?"

"Which tube you talkin about?" Jack winked.

"Which one you think?"

"Now you're talkin."

"Get your ass up. Want you in that bed."

"Whatever you say, ol' man." Jack stood, wrapped an arm around Ennis. "Gonna fuck me good?" he teased.

"Always gotta be talkin, don't ya?" Ennis grunted as they walked to the camper together. "Forty years I known you and you still don't know when to shut up..."

Jack grinned. Ennis held the door for him, then smacked his ass as they walked on through.

They remained inside for the rest of the day.


End file.
